


Bright Lights & Dark Skies

by simpfordeath



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Nameless Character - Freeform, Romance, Social Class, Song fic, Teenagers, idk i wrote this while procrastinating at 6am, sasuke is a touch starved bby, sasuke is just a lonely boy, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:55:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26028334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpfordeath/pseuds/simpfordeath
Summary: [Sasuke x Reader/OC]Uchiha Sasuke was a missing-nin, one of the last Uchiha burdened with the cursed name. Uchiha Sasuke was also just a teen alone in the world looking for some companionship on a Summer night. Then someone came along to light up the night.[Loosely based off of a song.]
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Bright Lights & Dark Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based off of Utakata Hanabi - Supercell  
> Have no idea what's in half of this since I wrote it while sleep deprived but enjoy :)  
> Character is nameless 'cause ceebs thinking of a name.
> 
> *Edited 19 Oct 2020

The sun was making its way behind the hills, and in turn, the colourful paper lanterns shone brighter against the darkening sky. Uchiha Sasuke made his way through the bustling crowds of a small summer festival held at the lakeside after a short job in a neighbouring city. The festival was hosted by the surrounding civilian villages to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the fall season of harvest. 

As he manoeuvred his way through the crowds of people laughing and chatting excitedly over the foods and toys, his thoughts wandered back to his team back in Konoha. Just a few years ago Kakashi had basically ordered him to attend a festival with the rest of them, masking it as a ‘team-building exercise.’ And as he walked aimlessly through the crowd, he couldn’t help but wish his former teammates were with him. Although they were loud and annoying, in situations like this, they blended right in—especially Naruto with his unrelenting energy. He narrowly avoided the kid behind him smashing ice cream into his black coat. The plain black colour contrasted heavily against the brightly patterned yukata that the festival-goers adorned. 

The half-hidden scowl plastered on his face didn’t help with the pitying and stares that followed his disappearing figure. (Or maybe even with a hood covering most of his features, people could still admire his handsome looks.)

He didn’t know if it would be better to take off the cloak and risk being recognised by someone or continue to be scrutinised by the people around his lone figure. 

-

Sasuke was just leaving the park through a lesser walked road that lined the dense forest when he heard the loud clacking of the geta against the wooden path approach him. A young girl around his age ran toward him with her hands scrunched at the front fabrics of her yukata to lift the hem of the dress up. The coins in her kinchaku bag dangling from her wrist clinked together as it beat against her leg while she ran. Two men with worn shabby clothes were in pursuit of her brandishing their dull knives in the moonlight.

Their eyes met, and he felt the utter desperation evident in her golden eyes begging for help. She slowed as she neared him and he caught her with one arm before she slammed into his side and summoned his katana with the other. 

Wordlessly, Sasuke moved the girl behind him and moved into an offensive stance. He wouldn’t mind getting more practice with his new favourite weapon.

The men stopped upon seeing Sasuke’s stance, immediately recognising that he was a trained fighter. “What’s a shinobi doing here?” They faltered at the Uchiha’s hard glare. 

Sasuke had hit his growth spurt a while back, so he was leaning more towards a lanky man than a young child. That, combined with the bloodlust that emanated from his being, warded off the petty criminals without a fight. 

“Che. You got lucky this time’ round, princess,” they sneered and walked back into the trees, probably to look for their next victim.

The girl he saved was still catching her breath, leaning slightly against him for support for her trembling legs. He could feel the heat of her body where she was pressed against him, making his cloak feel almost unbearably hot. 

“Thank you… for helping me,” she panted out before gathering back her composure and stepped back from him.

The girl was wearing a deep red yukata with silk embroidered flowers tied together with a pink obi. The quality of the fabric that draped her figure pointed out that she came from a wealthy family. 

However, the haphazard way the obi was tied, the way her hair came undone from her updo, and the golden pin barely hanging onto her silky honey hair gave off the information that an amateur dressed her up—most likely herself. Albeit it most likely came undone when she was escaping from the crooks on the way to the festival. 

“Ehem— Your…” He coughed out and indicated to her partially exposed chest, revealing the delicate lace undergarments, and turned away, his cheeks warmed—due to the heat of course.

“Ah—! I am deeply sorry you had to—” 

Her cheeks also flushed upon the realisation of how improper she appeared. She quickly readjusted her yukata, the kinchaku bag on her waist rattled as she did so.

“Thank you—again for helping me back there. I heard that the councillors hired shinobi to patrol the area tonight and thought it would have been safe for me to come alone.” Her cheeks still held a slight blush, which may have become more prominent as she took a proper look at his face under the hood. 

The boy looked about her age and had a fatally handsome face with piercing dark eyes, pale skin and a sharp jawline. The individual features themselves would be enough to make any girl do a double-take. But all three of them together?

She did her best not to outwardly swoon.

When Sasuke made no comment and instead, put his weapon away, she tentatively asked, “are you one of the hired shinobi?” And if so, she wondered if she could get her father to hire him in the future.

He grunted. “I was just passing by.” 

Sasuke could tell the girl was attempting to hide her interest towards him, not that it was working, but he appreciated the effort nonetheless.

She peered at the strings of lanterns that hung above the rows of food stalls behind him at the entrance to the lakeside park. 

The faint laughter of people could be heard as well as the sound of young children whining to their parents to just stay a little longer. As they were forced to leave early to make it back for their bedtime, they pulled back on the hands of their tired parents who were trying to satiate them with cotton candy shaped like a flower and reminders that they needed to put their newly won goldfish into a pond or a tank. 

But no matter the loud whines of the children, it must’ve been fun while they were there together, she thought, as there were no signs of regret in the parents’ eyes even as they berated their kids—maybe only that they weren’t able to stay late enough to watch the fireworks at midnight. 

The girl focused back on the boy in front of her, her bright hair twirled with the soft wind as she did so. She didn’t spot any toys won at the games or souvenirs on him and hoped that he wasn’t too tired to go for another round at the festival because she’d really like to not go alone, especially after what happened mere minutes ago.

Sasuke saw the same longing in her eyes and the biting of her cheek, silently asking for his companionship to the festival. 

Initially, he felt the talons of disgust claw at his heart, the weakness of wanting someone to be with him, that he missed the warmth of her body pressed against his even on this hot summer night.

He watched her golden hues as she straightened her posture and picked up her courage. “Would it be rude of me to ask you to accompany me tonight?” She asked with bated breath. Her nervousness drowned out the noises around them as she anxiously anticipated his answer, her heart beating loud in her ears. 

It was a bit ridiculous to be honest, as he was no one special to her. However, she felt her heart pick up and her ears burn the same as the time she confessed her feelings to her very first crush at pre-school. 

Sasuke was torn between the ugly disgust that toiled to show on his face and bit on his tongue to keep it at bay. 

Tonight, he decided to allow himself to indulge in the comfort of another person.

It had been over a year since he’d left the village and subsequently broke all relationships he had with the people back in his home. Even if he always told himself to be strong, to focus and better himself to finally kill his traitorous brother—the lack of companionship with anyone other than Orochimaru and his favourite, and equally as creepy student, Kabuto, would be enough to drive him insane. 

He just wished he could rest for one night. To not be Uchiha Sasuke and carry the burden of his name on his back. 

Better it is a civilian stranger in a small town than anyone else, he told himself. As long as he kept his hood up, there shouldn’t be any skilled shinobi out to pursue the missing-nin. The shinobi the villages hired would be genin or at most chuunin from the neighbouring Hidden Waterfalls village.

Sasuke lifted an arm up for her to take. 

“Let’s go.”

Her pink cheeks tugged her lips up into a pretty smile, painted lips and pearly white teeth. 

The lack of introductions clearly set out the terms of their companionship for the night. Short, sweet and no strings attached.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” She asked as she curled her arm under his and stepped next to him until their shoulders brushed.

He gave no response to her attempt at small talk. She wondered if it was because he was regretting saying yes. After all, his arm was tense and his posture rigid. 

Well, she decided she wouldn’t let him regret it, not after seeing his deep irises while he was contemplating. 

The light-haired girl was able to recognise the longing, to be with another, in his eyes, the ones that reflected her own. She wondered if that was perhaps the reason why he left prematurely as she peered into his hood from the side with curious eyes.

As the two teens approached the red torii gate that guarded the park, the girl pulled out a pink chiffon scarf from her bag and draped it over her nose before she tied it around the back of her head as a mask. The patterned fabric was thin and translucent enough for her to breath easily and for Sasuke to see her smile underneath.

She didn’t miss the questioning look in his eyes, despite his stoic appearance. 

“Just as you keep your hood on, I also have a reason to hide my identity.” She secured the knot and returned her hand to his arm.

Sasuke grunted in response, refraining from telling her that it was quite a poor disguise. Except that she probably still stood out less than him in his shinobi attire and figured that no one would recognise her anyway if they weren’t actively looking.

-

The summer festival was all she dreamed it to be and more. 

The glittering lake lined with lanterns and the park filled to the brim with people playing and laughing. The rows of stalls packed with street foods selling candied fruit to fried soba and games ranging from goldfish scooping to shuriken throwing, the walls of the booths lined with cute prizes.

The light-haired girl’s heart leapt and her body along with it as she skipped forward to get a better look at the shops.

“Uwaa, this is way better than I imagined!” She gushed at him with the excitement of a child seeing shooting stars for the first time, bright golden eyes sparkling at him.

Sasuke let himself be dragged along to the middle of the crowds, eyes narrowed at the pushing of the faceless strangers around him, but focused on the slim hand that slipped from his arm to intertwine with his fingers. She pulled him to line up at the first of many stalls that caught her eye and, unknowingly, he tightened his own hand around hers.

“Have you never been to a festival before?” Sasuke spoke lowly, having to lean in closer for her to hear him and to avoid being pushed by the people around them. 

“No, I was never allowed so I’d watch it from the top of my village every year.” Even from afar, the glowing lights of the park and the fireworks were spectacular. “But I really wanted to see it in person this year.” Her tone was soft and faraway. 

“So you decided to sneak out?” His tone wasn’t accusatory but instead held some sort of understanding. Given his skill, she didn’t need to question how he came to that conclusion.

She let out a short laugh of affirmation, “despite all my efforts to be alone for once, I ended up asking you to accompany me instead.” 

Sasuke figured that she was probably the daughter of some sort of lord who spent her days followed by servants and memorised literature and manners of those of the upper class. “Some say that having a companion is worth more than a company of a hundred.”

She raised a brow at him. “Are you telling me that being with you is better than being with everyone else I know?”

Sasuke let out a low hum. “You just admitted that I’m your only companion.” 

Her golden hues widened at his words. “Of course not! I have companions and friends—” She had her personal maid whom she shared her secrets to and her friends at her tea ceremony class and such, “— what about you?”

“Hn.” He didn’t count any of Orochimaru’s underlings as friends even if he spent most of his time training with them. They were either obnoxious or insane.

She was the same. Even if she’d told Shizue-san, her maid, her secrets, the moment she uttered anything disapproving, Shizue would betray her and run right to her father. Even being with her friends at the tutoring academies was like a double-edged sword. She’d always have to be wary of saying anything with the semblance of being political.

“What about me? I’m sure my companionship is worth more than a thousand men,” she asked him with a grin of cheek to rid his attractive face of the frown.

“Not quite there yet.” He patted her head and walked up to the ring toss stall. 

“Welcome! How many hoops do you kids want?” Rows of small toys were displayed in front of her, which got bigger and harder to win the further back it got. 

“I would like five hoops please, Oji-san!” She replied, still eyeing the prizes.

Sasuke accepted the hoops from the old man. “Which one do you want?”

He handed her four of the rings. “I would like the white bunny at the back.” She pointed to the large rabbit plush at the back of the rows of toys. “Although, I wouldn’t mind any of them.”

“Do you want some more hoops for a better chance?” She asked. It was an innocent question, perhaps she forgot how skilled shinobi were.

He smirked at her. “I only need one hoop to win.”

The stall owner must’ve heard them and reminded them, with much less enthusiasm, that “ninja have to play with one hand behind their back and one leg up.”

It wasn’t much of a handicap for Sasuke, as the ninja that tended to play these games were children that were still learning the basic skills.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her when she huffed at him with pouted lips after she failed to win anything. “I really thought I’d at least be able to get one of these small ones at the front.”

These games were designed to make people lose, so it was kind of expected. However, it didn’t mean that he was going to let her leave disappointed. 

“Here. I’ll help you,” he said and handed the last hoop to her and moved behind, with a hand on her’s to guide through the motions of throwing the ring. The action was effortless, and the hoop landed right on the prize. 

This elicited a loud cheer from her, and she turned to him with a beaming smile and looked at him as if he’d won her a million yen.

The old man congratulated her with little enthusiasm and handed her the prize. She received it with a smile and a skip regardless.

“Let’s go to the next one!” 

She played a few more games, while Sasuke walked next to her. One of his hands intertwined with her and the other wrapped around the plush toy while she decided on which game to play next.

“So what brought you to this town?” 

“... I was doing a job.” Sasuke kept an eye out on anyone that might recognise him as they walked. The risk was low, but he wanted to be safe. It was quite unusual for him to willingly be in a crowd after all.

“Like a solo mission?” 

“Ah.” He wondered if she knew he wasn’t the average shinobi, if she had suspicions about why he had his face hidden.

Sasuke could easily guess why she had her face covered too. It was most likely due to her social hierarchy. People wearing clothing of her quality did not usually go to places with commoners other than for obligatory appearances.

“Hmm, maybe I could get my father to hire you for jobs.” 

His lips twitched, “I don’t do those kinds of jobs.”

She turned to him. “What kind of jobs do you think we’d hire you for?”

“Escort jobs?”

“Not necessarily.” She looked around to make sure no one was looking and got up on her toes and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “father likes to make the people he doesn’t like disappear.”

Now, this was interesting. It wasn’t uncommon for people in a higher power to make underhanded moves to further benefit themselves. He just wondered how often he did it for her to know.

She didn’t fully lean back from him as his hand rested around her waist when she whispered into her ear. 

Her cheeks pinked when she realised how close they had gotten, how scandalous it would look to everyone she knew. She made no effort to move away, though. 

While they went around the game stalls, Sasuke couldn’t help but toe the boundaries of their skinship. He wondered how far he could go without her feeling uncomfortable as her cheek now rested on his shoulder as they walked to get some food. 

It was much more bearable for them to be pressed so close to each other now that night has fully descended upon them, and the temperature finally dropped.

He wondered what brought this on. He’d never initiated contact like this before, heck, he usually didn’t even want to touch others. 

He wondered what made her different, to make him feel like this. 

Perhaps it was due to the basis of their relationship, the fleetingness of this affair, that allowed him to let down his walls; however temporarily it may be. 

There was a small voice at the back of his mind though, reminding him who he was and the implications of being found out. The same voice that kept his guard up and eyes on the shinobi patrolling the place. 

But it was easy to forget when she looked at him with such adoring eyes.

-

The area next to the temple had a small platform built for performances of all sorts. So now they stood together watching a man playing with fire, her head half nestled in the crook of his neck and his arms circled around her waist.

“Can you do that?” She asked him, gesturing the man shooting fire out of his nose. 

“Hm, he’s still a novice.” His answers were always short and simple. He was a man of few words, she’d learned quickly. 

“Ah.”

It was nice, though, not having the expectation of making small talk to be polite. Not having the need to present herself in a particular manner. Right now, she felt more comfortable with him than she had in a long time even though she’d never been this intimate with someone else before.

Let alone a boy!

She briefly wondered how her father would react if he saw her like this, touching another boy in such a way, especially when she was promised to someone else. He’d probably burn her on a stake with the shame she would cause her family. 

But it didn’t matter right now because, right now, there was someone who made her feel warmer than this summer’s day. 

Rules about tonight’s arrangement were unspoken but like a contract, known to both parties, but boundaries were pushed. At some point, they would tread dangerous waters, but right now, the comfort they brought each other made it feel like everything else didn’t matter.

-

Nearing the hour of midnight, the two found a small patch of grass at the lakeside further away from the rest of the festival-goers. The performances had ended for the night leading up to the fireworks to close off. 

Her scarf was loosened and hung around her neck, and she leaned back on his front with her legs stretched out on the mat he’d procured from a scroll. 

Sasuke let his eyes shut and take in the feeling of her warmth in her arms as the cool breeze caressed their forms. It was a feeling that made his heart wring tight and want to explode and clutch her even tighter in his arms. 

The feeling was unfamiliar and honestly, it terrified him, how nice it felt to be with her. He hadn’t allowed himself this luxury back in Konoha. He always kept everyone at a distance no matter how hard they tried to get him to open up to them.

This was different, he told himself—a momentary release before he had to focus back on his goal. 

He wondered if he’d regret it after this night ends.

Suddenly, the dark sky lit up with bright blazing colours and beautiful patterns. The fireworks filled up the darkness around it and danced around the world above them.

The popping of the fires filled their ears along with the gasps of people staring in utter amazement of the lights twirling about.

She stared in awe of the brilliant lights she was finally able to see up close. Her cheeks were flushed and mouth agape at the beauty of the lights.

When the magnificent display finally ended everyone applauded it for its performance with cheers and claps. 

She turned to Sasuke, laughing with pure joy, and he looked back at her with a soft smile, and the world around them faded away.

All Sasuke could see and think about was how beautiful she looked with dazzling precious golden eyes and glowing cheeks at the aftermath of the fireworks. He forgot about the world around him, and before he knew it, his hands found the back of her neck, tangled with the wisps of her silky hair.

The distance between them disappeared at their lips. They kissed.

It was short and sweet with the lingering taste of the candied apple she ate that night, and her lips reminded him of the innocence and beauty of life.

He felt the fireworks explode in his heart and pulled her lips back onto his once again. 

Rules were broken yet they did not care.

-

She hugged the bunny plush closer to herself. 

“I wish tonight will never end.” She said with a sigh. 

The euphoric feeling of their kiss had dissipated, and they were left with the aftermath of the feeling. But her sigh revealed something more than her words did.

“Hm?” A signal to elaborate.

Internally, she contemplated whether or not to tell him, to break the bubble of invincibility they’d built around themselves.

“I— I am to be betrothed when the fall reaches,” she muttered out.

His breath hitched at this, the thought that this would be nothing more than a mere memory when the night ended. 

Reality hit him with a crashing wave that he was a missing-nin, a fugitive training to kill his own kin and that she—did not belong to him.

And it seemed like she wouldn’t belong to herself for much longer too.

She felt him stiffen and turned around to wrap her arms around him. “I apologise— I should have told you before…” Her voice ended with barely a whisper.

All of a sudden, it became painful, and she hugged him tighter. He knew that after this night, they would just be two strangers—who didn’t even know each other’s names—who went to a festival together. Identities hidden and nothing to give them away that they were there.

He wasn’t ready for that. He was still a child, and he just wanted to live. But the world was not kind to children—especially not one born to be a shinobi.

He let out a staggered sigh, and she ran her fingers through his hair under his cloak. It was so easy to be just another person, so easy to be with her. She didn’t ask anything of him other than his companionship and yet, he’d given—and taken much more than they’d agreed upon. 

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have kissed you.” His arms dared him to hold her back, fearing for that line to be crossed again. 

He hated the way she melted into him. He hated knowing how much she yearned this too, that she was so desperate for any semblance of affection that she asked… him.

Last of all, he hated how this would be the last of what he’d allow himself to feel, the feeling of having affection and being cared for. The feeling he’d shut out ever since the passing of his family, of his mother.

He’d have to remove all of that once again. This time it would be more difficult, like trying to stop a waterfall once the dam has been broken open.

Sasuke let out a staggered breath and held her close. He wished that this night would never end—that time would stop itself around the bubble they’d built around each other.

“... I liked it… when you kissed me,” she whispered in his ear.

Selfish as it was, it distracted her from the inevitability of being wedded to a man she’d never met before. 

She was glad that it was him, a man whom she’d just met, who didn’t ask anything of her, who held her close like no other had before, to take her first kiss, rather than the man she’d be wedded to.

-

As the last of the festival lights turned off, they finally got up. Only the glowing lights of the lanterns guided their way back out. 

Now that they were the only two in the park after the organisers and hired shinobi had finished up, Sasuke pulled off the hood of the cloak.

“If you want, I can make some man you hate disappear for you.”

She laughed a defeated laugh, “there will always be another man to fill that gap.”

And if that man was me? 

Was left unsaid.

“I had a nice night with you, Uchiha Sasuke-san.” 

She gave the bunny in her arms a final squeeze and placed it onto the ground.

Sasuke needed no signal, although he allowed a brief pause for her to say goodbye to it and then, he set it ablaze. He left no evidence on site.

They looked at each other, illuminated by the dim lights that flickered about. A step closer, then two, and the two pressed their lips together, eyes slipped shut.

They separated, but Sasuke pressed his lips to her head. Their arms still entangled around one another. 

“Goodnight.”

“Ah… Goodnight.”

They both understood their roles in their world. Worlds that did not meet except on a night of bright lights and dark skies.

-

Fin.


End file.
